Be a Rock: Discovering a Firm Foundation for Life

By Jeffrey Reynolds MD

We live in a time of unprecedented ideological confusion and discord. This reality threatens not only our societal stability, but our personal integrity, character and peace of mind. Our effectiveness in the most important domains of life is also on the line. We are all more deeply influenced by the prevalent perspectives and values embedded in popular worldviews than we may realize. Any authentic truth signal is being drowned out by the escalating noise of alternate truth propositions. We all need a way to identify what is true and what is not in order to embrace the former and reject the latter. In our current cultural climate, this represents a crisis and a call to action. Be a Rock: Discovering a Firm Foundation for Life addresses our urgent need for a correct paradigm of reality and access to the robust but singular source of help for this important undertaking. Author Jeffrey Reynolds, MD, points us to the Bible as the only foundation that does not shift or fail. Becoming a “rock” in a chaotic and broken world will have significant and sustained impact for good, for yourself and for everyone you care about.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973658832

Jeffrey Reynolds MD

Dr. Reynolds is a nephrologist in full-time clinical practice in a multispecialty group private practice in Connecticut. He has been married for 32 years and is blessed with four wonderful children. Prior to undergoing medical training he worked in the nonprofit and business worlds. His life experience and providential factors have led him on a journey of faith which serves as the inspiration for this book. He is board certified in nephrology and is a member of the American Society of Nephrology. He is an actively involved member of his local church, a Board member of the Fellowship of Fathers Foundation, and a supporter a number of Christian and missionary enterprises. He earned his MD with honors from Yale School of Medicine, and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Dr. Reynolds invites his readers to contact him with any questions at [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2019 Jeffrey Reynolds, MD.

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Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™

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Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-5882-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5884-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5883-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019904156

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/1/2019

Dedication

To my family, friends, colleagues, patients, and all who seek to be a rock for the benefit of others.

Table of Contents

Preface

1:   Reality Check

2:   The Predicament

3:   The Rock

4:   Paradigms of Life

5:   Pop Spirituality and Counterfeit Rocks

6:   Be a Rock!

7:   Being a Rock in Key Areas of Life

8:   Approaching the Bible and Choosing a Church

Final Thoughts

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Preface

L ife in this world is inherently uncertain and unpredictable. Common sense and a little life experience make this clear to us all. Our jobs, our health, our finances, friends, marriages, and children do not come with any guarantees, at least any you can count on. While some of us may enjoy relative stability in our own personal lives, even those who are so fortunate would have to admit there are in fact problem areas, and the world we live in seems to be characterized by escalating turmoil, whether in the airwaves, in the streets, or in our own minds.

Unrest and conflict in the political, civic, economic, personal and ideological realms seems to be the new normal—especially in the U.S.A. Our senses are assaulted daily with this reality on the airwaves (TV, internet, social media). Who could fail to see that after the recent presidential election or Supreme Court hearings, as well as with virtually every other major issue of our time, regardless which side you favor? Many, it would seem, of our most valued relationships have been strained if not ruined by this ideological climate. There is also a general recognition of such rapid and important changes in our culture that, in general, people (mostly those who have been around long enough to remember the past) are becoming more alarmed, confused, or both, about the implications of these changes. I share their recognition of a profound shift in core societal values and norms since the early 60’s. In the even shorter time I have been in medical practice, I have also seen an increasing proportion of people expressing or manifesting anxiety, depression and confusion, much of which I believe is a function of such changes in societal values and norms. There is also accumulating evidence of these disturbances on a societal level, as will be discussed further below.

The purpose of this book is to share how, regardless of the level of chaos, confusion and instability in our environment or in ourselves, it is possible for each of us to become a rock of genuine stability and substance. Doing so will enable us to live in a more noble and honorable way. Such rock-like character is inevitably accompanied by a level of internal confidence, clarity, peace and joy that is otherwise elusive. In fact, the joy and peace alone would be reason enough to take this information seriously, so great are the benefits to us. What we will be exploring is the fact that there is a rock-solid source for this stability and a basis for unfailing confidence in every area of life. This is not self-help, pop psychology, a gimmick or conventional wisdom. This is nothing less than an invitation to become a rock of integrity, stability and reliability for yourself and for everyone in your life. I am convinced now after many years of first-hand experience that it works — and not just for me, but for hundreds of millions of people throughout the entire world over millennia. In short, I would make a claim that may sound audacious: this may be the best and most important news you will ever hear (which you may or may not have heard before) which I am only passing along as one who has joined the ever-growing ranks of those who have discovered the same great truth which is, I am convinced, valid and applicable to everyone. And I doubt I need to convince you that having such qualities characterize your life is not only beneficial but, if you are like most of us, desperately needed — I know it certainly is for me.

I do realize that some readers may not have any concerns about their own character qualities such as have been briefly mentioned above. If you are in this category, this subject matter may not seem relevant to you on the surface, but I would urge you to consider reading on anyway, since you may still discover opportunities to become more effective in key areas of your life than you already are. My hope and prayer in writing this is that, regardless how well everything may seem to be going currently, you will consider these perspectives, and that by doing so you and those who depend on you will be positively impacted in a meaningful and long-term way.

I need to touch on my motivation and perspective for writing this book at this point. There are two major reasons why I feel compelled to do something so bold as to write about being a rock for yourself and for others. The first is that my own experience, which I share highlights of below, have taught me how you can (as I now understand it) have in many ways failed miserably in the past to be a rock in the key areas of your life, yet still be able to successfully pursue the important and, ultimately, noble goal of becoming such a rock in a way that will have significant and lasting impact for good for yourself and everyone you care about. The underlying and overarching truth or paradigm on which this insight is based, I have concluded, is so essential and universally applicable that I recognize my responsibility to present it openly for the benefit of all, regardless of the response I may personally receive to it. I also am sure that if this can work for me, it can work for anyone.

The second (and lesser, but still important—at least to me) reason I am writing this book is therapeutic. The discipline of putting in words what I have learned more accurately in recent years has been quite helpful in crystallizing my own understanding of this paradigm of reality. While that was not the primary motivation for this writing project, I believe the validity of the redemptive message of this book is ultimately self-evident and hopefully comes across in the following pages for your benefit. For me, getting to this point did not come easily, but it was certainly worth it, and my hope is it will be productive for you as well. One important disclaimer is this: while there is no inadequacy or flaw in the underlying truth this book is about, my ability to articulate it will be imperfect (as I am), but I am hopeful it will speak clearly to you in spite of that.

You may have heard people say about someone they know, "He’s a rock! or She’s such a rock! which I always recognized a high form of compliment. Upon hearing such praise for another, part of me used to immediately feel convicted of my own inadequacies, yet I had no idea how to correct that core issue—but that is thankfully no longer the case. I deeply believe that if you approach this information with an open mind and a willingness to change for the better, and if you are receptive to the possibility of greater purposes for your life than you may previously have considered, then you also can come to be known as a real rock" by those you care most about, and they in turn will be greatly blessed—and isn’t that the ultimate point of life? Indeed, this type of impact for good is so powerful as to endure for generations, even down to your descendants (or those of unrelated people you will impact positively) who will never meet you. The simple fact that you are taking the time to begin reading this book indicates that you have taken a step in that journey, and I am confident if you stay with it, you will find it to have been worthwhile.

Chapter 1

Reality Check

Let’s take a moment to consider the massive complexity yet remarkable order and harmony of the universe, solar system, and natural world in which we live. The level of organization and coordination seen from the infinitely large level down to the infinitesimally small, microscopic and sub-microscopic level is truly stunning. Such remarkable order is seen on a large scale, for example, in the orbiting of our planet around the sun at the perfect distance and axis of rotation to sustain life and keep a mass the size and weight of our planet on course with extreme precision indefinitely. In my premedical and medical education, I had the unusual privilege of learning quite a bit of all that modern scientific inquiry has extensively revealed of the inner workings of life from the sub-cellular and molecular scale to the cellular, organ, system, and whole organism level of human life. I was also able to get a sense in the undergraduate sciences of the incomprehensible size of the larger context in which we humans live, including the world, the solar system, galaxy and the entire universe. This educational experience, which I did later in life than usual, simply stunned me. I was frequently in awe of the undeniable majesty and wisdom represented by all such phenomena.

An important example of this at the sub-microscopic level is the energy-producing photochemical process upon which all life on this planet ultimately depends: photosynthesis. This is a remarkably ingenious and effective series of biochemical processes by which light energy from the sun drives chemical reactions in plant cells containing chlorophyll. These reactions produce both oxygen and glucose which are necessary for the existence of all animal life on this planet, while actually consuming carbon dioxide which recycles the carbon in CO2 (the major greenhouse gas) into the glucose that ultimately powers all animate life.

Learning the details of this intricate process at the molecular level was an eye-opening experience for me. It was beyond and obviously far superior to anything that could have been devised by human intelligence (and in any case, we know that it wasn’t). Taking these observations to an even smaller level of nature, the intricate control and order seen at the very smallest scale likewise amazed me. This includes the fact (which I learned in my premed chemistry studies) that even the infinitely tiny electrons that orbit an atom have specific orbitals they must stay within. Even more amazing, each electron (which is so small scientists are unsure if it has any mass at all) has a specific spin that occurs on an axis which much be maintained at all times for all life and matter to function properly. Toward the other end of scale, the massive planet Earth has a specific axis of rotation as well as an orbit that must be strictly maintained for life to exist.

How about that most common and familiar substance, water? What few people appreciate is the uniquely perfect molecular design and the resulting chemical properties of water that make all life possible and impart its unparalleled and universal cleansing power. It is impossible to overstate the simple yet sublime elegance of water in its structure and function resulting from its molecular size and shape, and most importantly the specific polarity resulting from the intentional asymmetry of the distribution of the electrons resulting from the exact arrangement of the two hydrogen atoms at precise angles relative to the central oxygen atom. This provides its unique properties and incalculable value to all living things. It donates and accepts electrons and hydrogen atoms to permit innumerable chemical reactions vital to life and provides an aqueous internal environment that makes all cellular and systemic functions possible. On top of that, there is nothing as refreshing as cold, pure water when you are thirsty, especially if you are also hot—and it has been supplied to us in great abundance for our benefit, coming up from deep in the earth and coming down from the skies to water all plant life.

Just with regard to plant life, consider the amazing diversity of plants, many of which serve as food that is not only delicious but good for you. Many plants are known for their medicinal or health properties, some of which are important staples of western medicine (with important examples being digitalis and tamoxifen). One type of plant in particular, trees, and particularly the wood which comes from them, has provided the material to make homes, boats, furniture, musical instruments, vehicles for transportation, bridges, sporting equipment, paper, boxes, and innumerable other goods—and is an ideal fuel to keep us warm and cook by! Wood’s remarkable properties of tensile strength, flexibility, durability, and malleability are owed to the unique molecular structure of cellulose and the associated cell wall of that type of plant. Like the Brooklyn Bridge or the Eiffel Tower, the structure of cellulose was perfectly and ingeniously designed to enable wood to serve all these important functions for the enrichment of life and the betterment of humanity. And the icing on the cake is that most types of wood are extraordinarily beautiful in the finished product.

As remarkable as these natural phenomena are, I believe the supreme example of this principle of sublime order and superhuman genius revealed in nature at the molecular level is the structure, purpose, and function of DNA, a subject I have studied in depth at the medical school and post-doctoral research levels. When I actually grasped how DNA worked, I was in stunned awe of the undeniable level of intelligence to conceive of, and power to execute on, such a design. Most scientists seem to have had a similar epiphany when they grasped the unparalleled ingenuity of its design for the first time. The giant DNA macromolecules representing each chromosome contain millions of base pairs, which scientists were able to determine represented a form of alphabet, or code, which contains the very instructions which determine everything about your body. It is far beyond the level of genius of human alphabets and language as it is a three-dimensional form of code containing the full instructions for all the complexity of the human being—and it does so with only four letters based on the underlying pattern. There is a similarity to computer code, which is just a sequence of 0’s and 1‘s, but when arranged in a certain order results in the software which runs the applications on which we all increasingly depend to live.

In an entirely different area of endeavor, but which illustrates the same truth well, is the glorious harmony, order and majesty of a great musical symphony — and to differing degrees, other kinds of music — speaks to us of a greater creative and organizing principle operating in the universe, so much so that most people find such music deeply comforting, even anxiety-relieving, in its power. Then, to point out one more example, in what is arguably the ultimate natural experience possible — having a baby — knowing that only nine months earlier it did not exist in any sense and then originated as the union of two single cells from two different people can only leave us appropriately speechless with reverent wonder at the loving intelligence and creative power that could bring this about. Even with my limited knowledge of the realm of nature and the cosmos, I could probably write volumes for the sole purpose of marveling at and celebrating this awe-inspiring process. Furthermore, in my medical practice of nephrology I am constantly reminded, through ongoing research reports as well as continuing medical education, of the staggeringly complex yet gloriously harmonious and intricate processes that are continually being discovered at the sub-cellular levels which continue to reveal the obvious genius behind it. As impressive as the technology is which has been produced by human effort and ingenuity, even the most basic processes that make living things possible—including the simplest plants—are far beyond the engineering capability of human ingenuity (as impressive as the latter admittedly is). I have noted at times throughout my medical education with wonder that many of our most brilliant scientists, some of whom have dedicated their entire lives to understanding one or a handful of such processes, remain unable to explain how these things came to be or ultimately how they are regulated at the higher levels governing such processes as DNA replication and repair, embryogenesis, or other such processes at the foundation of life itself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now let’s consider the degree of order, stability, harmony, durability and reliability of human relationships, institutions, cultural values, social norms, governments and empires. At the macro level, all the great empires and civilizations of the world have come and gone (at least in terms of their dominance or era), and it is a safe bet that those which currently exist will do likewise. Consider most governments in the world today — do they consistently live up to their mandate to make life better for the people they serve, creating the conditions for human flourishing while protecting them from every external and internal threat, or are they rather serving their own career or financial interests first and the good of the people only secondarily (or not at all)?

On a more personal level, who has never been let down, lied to, betrayed, taken advantage of, abused or rejected by a trusted friend, family member or spouse? Were our own parents all they could have, or should have, been for us? Likewise, have we ourselves been and done all we could possibly have for our spouse’s